Michael j



M. J. BURNS.

GUN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14. 1919.

Patented Nov; 18, 1919,

MICHAEL J. BURNS, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

GUN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

Application filed July 14, 1919. Serial No. 310,630.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL J. BURNS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ordnance and more particularly to heavy artillery.

The primary object of this invention resides in the provision of a heavy gun having a bore which can be assembled and disassembled in operative position in the barrel of the gun without necessitating the transportation of the gun to the gun factory.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a heavy gun having a bore which is retained in operative position in the barrel of the gun by the breech-block.

A still further object of this invention resides in the novel means of locking the breech-block of the gun to retain the removable bore of the gun in operative position.

With these and other objects in view this invention resides in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of elements to be more particularly set forth in the specification herewith and pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that the right is reserved to resort to such changes in construction as come within the scope of the claim.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View through a gun asconstructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 83 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the rear portion of the gun.

In the present embodiment of this invention, the numeral 5 designates the barrel of a gun having its bore provided with longitudinally extending ribs 6 which terminate short of the rear end of the gun for a. purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

By providing the aforesaid ribs 6 in the manner set forth grooves 7 are necessarily provided between the ribs. The ribs 6convey toward the nozzle of the gun and also the peripheral wall of the grooves 7.

Slidably retained in the bore of the barrel of the gun is a removable bore 8 which is provided with longitudinally extending ribs 9 for engaging the grooves 7 in the bore of the barrel of the gun and longitudinally extending grooves 10 for engaging the ribs 6 of the bore of the barrel of the gun. The grooves 9 and ribs 10 of the removable bore 8 are adapted to coact with the ribs 6 and grooves 7 of the bore of the barrel 5 in such manner that the removable bore can be slid in the breech of the gun until its nozzle is flush with the nozzle of the barrel, and when so positioned it will be prevented from rotating in the bore of the barrel by the engagement of the aforesaid ribs with one another. The removable bore is provided with suitable rifling which is not illustrated in the drawing for the reason that it forms no part of this invention.

As hereinbefore stated the removable barrel terminates short of the rear end of the gun and its inner periphery is provided with pitched lugs 11 that are arranged in longitudinally extending series which are separated a suflicient distance for the passage of a similarly formed series of lugs 12 carried by the reduced end 13 of a rotatable breech block 14.

The enlarged end of the breech block 14 is provided with lugs 16 as formed on its reduced end for engagement with lugs 17 formed on the bore of the barrel.

In order to permit the aforesaid breech block to be rotated to engage and disengage the lugs 11, 12, 16 and 17, the enlarged end of the said breech block is provided with an annular rib 18 which is adapted to be retained in an annular groove 19 formed in a carriage 20 which is hinged as at 21 to a slidable bolt 22 or other suitable mechanism that is supported by the rear end of the gun. The slidable bolt 22 permits the breech block to be slid rearwardly so that it can be opened when retracted a sufficient distance from its closed position after the rotatable breech has been turned so that the lugs 11, 12, 16 and 17 have been disengaged. 7

With the lugs 11, 12, 16 and 17 arranged in their respective position it is apparent that the breech block will be prevented from moving when the gun is fired as the lugs 16 and 17 jam the shoulder 25 of the breech block against the rear end of the removable bore and the lugs 11 and 12 assist in this action.

The rotatable breech block is provided with a handle 26 whereby it can readily be tions attained With the handle.

Having fully described this invention it is manifest that a gun is produced which is readily operable, easily repaired and accurate to fire.

With this invention fully set forth What I claim is The combination with a gun having a bore provided with longitudinally extending grooves, of ribs formed on the periphery of the bore of the gun, a removable bore having longitudinally extending grooves fitting the ribs of the bore of the gun, ribs formed on said removable bore fitting the grooves in the bore of the gun, and a breech-block lockingsaid removable bore of the gun.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MICHAEL J. BURNS. 

